Realities
by TheMuncher101
Summary: Should she try to change things, risk ruining everything and not know what could happen? Or sit back, let things go like they should? It did turn out alright, in the end. So should she do something? ...Maybe she could help from afar, help with the War? Would that be enough? Would it be okay? But, of course, she just had to spark a certain someone's interest. Great.
1. Prologue

**Summary: She was stuck. What should she do? Try and change things, risking ruining everything and not knowing what could happen? Sit back and let things go as they originally should? Things did turn out alright, in the end...so should she do something?**

 **...Maybe she could help from afar. Help with the War, even if it's just one extra person. Would that be enough...? Would that be okay...?**

 **But, of course, things just couldn't go smoothly as planned because she just had to spark a certain someone's interest. Great.**

 **(My try at a Self-Insert-ish OC story, let's see how this goes).**

 **Disclaimer: I Donut Own Naruto D;**

* * *

 **REALITIES**

 _~Prologue~_

* * *

For the first couple of years, she thought she was just re-living her life. It sounds strange, but she was in a baby's body that looked exactly like her and had the same parents and older brother. Her older brother was _identical_ to the pictures she'd seen in albums, and did, indeed, have the famed temper tantrums that had been a common story to tell during family gatherings.

She still learned how to talk before she walked, her father still worked as a doctor, her mother was still the main breadwinner of the family... They still lived in a place that was hot in the summer and snowed in the winter (according to what she'd been told, that's how the weather was in the first country they'd lived before they began home-hopping all over the world).

Her mother was still named Monika, though there was a bit of an accent when they said it. She'd heard people call her father "Geruto", which would've been strange, but his name was difficult to pronounce. Not to mention they were living in a foreign country at the time.

So, yeah. She was convinced this was just a replay of her life but with her holding the reigns. She wasn't planning on changing much, because honestly, it wasn't _too_ bad.

Her parents took her on walks occasionally. Otherwise, she'd stay inside playing with her toys or drawing ( _trying_ to) or just reading short-story books...that were written in another language? It wasn't too unusual considering how much her parents swapped their place of residence, so she rolled with it.

When on their short strolls in nearby parks, she'd noticed they only ever took her in one direction, and, by some ridiculous stroke of bad luck, every time she tried to peek to see what was in the opposite direction someone blocked her vision (Seriously, _what are the chances?_ )

She did, however, manage to catch a glimpse of the corner of what seemed to be a towering mass of rock, once.

Curious.

It was only when the anniversary of her third year of life was approaching that she began to grow anxious.

They'd already moved when she'd turned three. She was supposed to spend three months with her grandparents (who she hasn't seen yet?) then be taken to the first house they'd lived in, in Barbados...

 _Why wasn't that happening?_

"Kuria, is everything alright?" asked her mother.

The girl paused. It might have been because of her constant thinking throughout the past few years, but she'd always been a little clueless about what was happening around her. It didn't seem very significant since she'd supposedly already experienced this, so she'd dismissed many things...

They called her 'Kuria', which meant "clear". But her name was _Clara_ , not _Kuria_. At first, she thought it was just a nickname since there wasn't much of a difference between "clarity" and "clear", so Kuria could only be a nickname...right?

They called her brother "Rūkasu", which was like saying "Lukas" but in Japanese. Again, it was just the pronunciation...

Wait.

 _Japanese._

"Kuria...? You're very pale... is your stomach hurting? Do you want some water?"

Blinking as she tried to regain her composure, the girl took in a deep breath before looking at her mother _(is it really my mother? Am I really Clara **Kuria**? Why am I here? ...Something about this feels ... **off**.)_, "Ne, mama... Can we go that way today?" **Kuria** Clara _**(Who is she? Who am I?)**_ asked hesitantly, pointing in the direction they never went.

Monika stumbled slightly, her eyes widening a little in surprise, "Of course we can! Your father and I never go that way because there aren't as many parks. Is that okay with you?" the black-haired woman enquired.

The two-year-old nodded, a gleam of excitement emerging in her brown eyes.

A couple of minutes into their walk, Clara **_(Kuria?)_** started to notice some things: the chatter of civilians was getting increasingly louder; fewer trees were seen by the streets; the roads widened and more shops and stalls popped up the further they went...

It was a bit of a... new experience for the dark-blonde haired girl, having become unaccustomed to larger, louder surroundings with more colour and movement. She was so entranced by the unfamiliar environment that it came as a surprise when she found herself walking along what seemed like the main road of the village (city? She wasn't sure...).

She froze, stock-still when her eyes rested on what _should be_ **(** **is)** a fictional monument.

 _The Hokage Rock._

* * *

 **Lemme know whachu think! ;D Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1: Acceptance

**Hiya! Here's the first chappie... it's a little fluffy at the end and is mostly just following Kuria as she goes through the process of accepting her situation plus a few other things...**

* * *

 **REALITIES**

 _~Chapter 1:~_

 _Acceptance_

* * *

After her...discovery, Kuria **(...Clara?)** learned to accept that yes, she was living in the Narutoverse. Yes, her family, by some cruel twist of fate, was with her (though by the looks of it they did not have their memories...does that mean they _aren't_ her family?). Yes, this was like a fanfic. Only it wasn't.

It was very real.

Was she supposed to be angry? Happy? Sad? Scared? Wary? Kuria... **(Clara...?)** didn't know what to think, didn't know what to feel.

To make matters worse, there were _three_ heads carved into the Hokage Rock. Which, clearly (ha, like her name... _ **whichname?**_ ), meant bad news.

Why?

Because she'd have to live past a _fucking_ War. Or two.

It took a while, but slowly, _achingly_ slowly, she began to accept it. It helped that she _tried_ to pay attention to her surroundings, to what was happening, because it showed her how different it really was here. That helped erase the connections to her past, ease the bumpy road that led to starting over(-ish, because she would _definitely_ need her memories).

Little things that would give massive pushes to accepting, acknowledging, that she no longer lived on Earth.

She lived in the Elemental Nations.

One such thing was the connections her family **(?)** had to chakra.

Her father was a doctor, yes. But he wasn't _just_ a doctor anymore. He was an Iryō-nin. He could heal cuts in _seconds_. Mend bones in a matter of _minutes_. Reattach limbs, regrow organs!

It was incredible _**...impossible.**_ and fascinating, too.

The biggest shock, or the biggest realization that tore down the little voice that _insisted_ she was still Clara, that told her she _didn't_ _ **belong**_ was that her mother was a kunoichi.

Clara's Monika hated violence and was remarkably squeamish. She remembers only ever watching action movies with her father, Monika fleeing immediately upon realising the nature of the movie.

Kuria's Monika was a Chūnin.

Kuria was four now, and _so much better._ Rūkasu (or Rūka, as she started calling him. Kasu would be a bit of an insult, literally meaning "leftover". heh.) had recently entered the Shinobi Academy and was excelling. He wasn't exactly top of the class, but it wasn't too far from his grasp, either. If he just put a little more _effort_...

 **(Lukas had always had** _ **immense**_ **potential, but he was too caught up in his video games to take the title of one of the best. Clara had had the unhealthy habit of comparing herself to him, even in sports. She refused to acknowledge that he was a** _ **boy**_ **and** _ **two**_ **years older.)**

Rūka would return from the academy with a bright, vibrant smile on his chubby face (baby fat was, truly, a blessing. It made him _so cute_ ) and would ask−no, _beg_ , their father or mother (whoever was home) to help him train.

Kuria would pleadingly ask her parents if she could also train, but they would always reject her wishes. So, she tagged along, watching her father instruct her sibling as hot bubbles of jealousy burned her stomach and made her eyes sting.

 **(Clara's biggest flaw was how she compared her achievements to those of the others, and how the smallest of things would make her incredibly jealous. But that wasn't the worst part, no. The worst part was how she kept it all in and felt** _ **disgusted**_ **by herself. She** _ **let**_ **it eat at her to make sure no one knew, because,** _ **surely**_ **, they'd leave her if they did.)**

But, Kuria was getting jumpy. The books at home were getting too short and _simple_ , she would get frustrated with how her drawings wouldn't turn out as imagined and give up.

She wanted to get started on training because _how else was she supposed to survive?_

The dark-blonde haired girl decided that no matter what her parents said, it was important, _vital_ , for her to start early.

Kuria could take care of herself, anyway.

With a grimace twisting her face, Kuria decided to start with the physical aspect of training. It was, after all, the most important basis. Not to mention she had the disadvantage of being a girl.

 **(…Clara had always hated fitness training…)**

The brown-eyed girl had managed to divert her nanny's attention somewhere else. How?

"Ne, Dera?" the four-year-old asked innocently.

A woman with curly brown hair tilted her head to show she was listening.

"Could I go dwaw in the gawden?" _Curse her inability to speak._

Dera blinked at the unusual request, "Of course! Let me just finish this chapter, then we can go, okay?"

Kuria let her eyes widen a little to seem more innocent, "Its ok! You don' have ta come with me, Mama and Papa put up one of those pwotective chakwa ward-thingies, remembew?"

The girl's caregiver narrowed her eyes in thought, hesitant to let her temporary ward out of sight. Kuria wobbled her lower lip a little, refusing to blink so her eyes would look glassy.

Dera melted at the sight, "Okay…okay. You can go. But be careful just in case, alright?" she sighed.

The four-year-old's brown eyes lit up as she beamed, "Thank you!" Kuria squealed.

She'd managed to do this for a week. One whole _week_. When Dera would come to check up on her and question her on why she was so sweaty, Kuria blamed it on the sun and the heat that wasn't uncommon in Konoha. When the girl decided she'd done enough for the day, she'd gather all her energy to make a mad dash to her room, shouting a "I'm gonna shower!" along her way.

 **(The part of her that was still 'Clara' would gape with incredulity when the adults let a** _ **four-year-old**_ **take a shower by herself. That** _ **wasn't normal**_ **, right?)**

Kuria had caught the suspicious, narrowed-eyed look Dera had shot her on multiple occasions, and suddenly the dark blonde's sweat glands were _a lot_ more active.

So, when her father popped up out of nowhere during one of her "drawing" sessions in their backyard, Kuria wasn't _too_ surprised.

"Kuria! What on _earth_ are you doing!" Was the angry unexpected shout that made her stumble while running _**(ugh)**_ and send her crashing towards the ground.

" _Papa?_ " Kuria gasped out. Her father frowned, quickly appearing by her side and kneeling as his hands glowed a faint turquoise.

 _Mystical Palm._

"Sore muscles… about a week old," Geruto muttered, his eyes squinting with an emotion Kuria couldn't decipher. Her father locked eyes with her, the stern glint in them sending a shiver through the girl, "Kuria, what were you _thinking_?"

The brown-eyed girl blinked as she shook off the feeling of foreign chakra entering her system. Kuria winced a little at the nearly invisible pinch in her father's expression and looked down to avoid his piercing blue eyes.

" _Kuria._ "

The warning tone in her father's voice made the blonde flinch as she distanced herself from her parent, curling into a ball as a wave of shame and guilt hit her.

 **(Clara's father was also the only one who could break her into pieces, push himself through her defences.)**

"Kuria, _please._ " was the exhausted plea that finally broke her.

Sniffling, the four-year-old responded shakily, "I just wanted to make sure I would be weady…"

"Ready?" Geruto frowned.

"For the academy." Kuria breathed out, glancing at her father.

The blond Iryō-nin raised an eyebrow, "You still have another _year and a half_ before you start."

The younger of the two tensed, her eyes a whirlwind of emotion, frustration being the most prominent, "I know, but I'm a _girl_ , Papa. I'm gonna be at a huge disha-disavan-disadvantage!"

Her father laughed, his blues eyes _(...like the sky...)_ clearing up. He relaxed and calmly sat by his daughter's side, putting an arm around Kuria as he pulled her unto his lap and squeezed her tightly.

"Papa! This isn't _funny_!" the dark-blonde spluttered, her chubby cheeks now splattered with red. The medic just laughed some more, chest rumbling with amusement.

" _Papa!_ "

"Okay! _Okay_! Okay… sorry, but I couldn't resist! My cute little daughter is worrying and stressing just like her mother!" Geruto grinned uncharacteristically as he teased her.

Kuria huffed, looking away once again as her blush spread. Her father's grin widened at this, happily settling into the peaceful silence.

The four-year-old's eyelids were drooping by the time her father spoke again.

"I suppose I have no choice but to help you, eh? You inherited stubbornness from _both_ of your parents, after all…"

A warm feeling enveloped Kuria, something fuzzy rising in her chest.

 _This isn't too bad…_

* * *

 ** _Soooooooooooooooo... Whachu think? Please let me know how you feel about this ;D I don't bite!_**

 ** _Thanks for reading!_**


	3. Chapter 2: Learning and Meetings

**HIYA !**

 **Chapter Summary: Kuria faces some things... and a certain Nara appears!** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) hehe**

 **Sorry for the late update! Hopefully you like this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I Donut Own Naruto**

* * *

 **REALITIES**

 _~Chapter 2:~_

 _Learning and Meetings_

* * *

It is only a year later that Kuria is introduced to the magic that is chakra. It was like a portal to a new world (oh, the _irony_ )... A very _dangerous_ world...

Kuria knew that, of course, but it was different when that danger smacked you right in the face.

(She _**-Clara-**_ was the one who "introduced" chakra to herself. _Bad_ idea.)

It was a day like any other, the sun was blisteringly hot on her back as her father watched Kuria and her brother as they ran laps.

(It was _torture_. Geruto had the firm belief that sugar coating things would do absolutely no good, and slowly, softly introducing the harsh life of a shinobi or kunoichi would do the opposite of its intent. In running, that meant to run as far as you could as fast as you could, since " _stamina is useless if you can't outrun your enemy: they'd catch you right away._ ")

(The worst part was that it made _sense_.)

Something Kuria Clara was grateful for was that she didn't have Clara's lungs. Clara had been an amazing sprinter (and had usually come first in speed), but would practically _drop dead_ after a few hundred meters. Her lungs would burn and her stomach would churn...

(It was a blessing, to say the least, that Kuria had kept the affinity for speed but had been gifted with more stamina... maybe that was because Geruto and Monika were shinobi _**they aren't ? Clara's parents**_.)

Anyway, Kuria had stumbled, collapsed and practically turned into jello when she'd reached her limit, sweating so much she could fill a bucket. The five-year-old couldn't push past the hazy fog clouding her mind to remember the number of laps she'd run at full speed, but her aching muscles told her it was more than what they were accustomed to.

"Kuria, do you think you can get to the pond to wash your face?" The young girl faintly heard her father ask.

With an affirmative grunt, the brown-eyed girl pushed herself up with shaky arms and crawled to the aforementioned place. Kuria could hear muffled laughter coming from Rūka but couldn't bother to put the effort into giving it much thought.

The pond was out of the line of sight from her familiars, the crunch of her brother's feet slowly fading into the distance as the girl dragged her body and plopped down next to a small pool of water.

The soft caress of the wind made the trees sing a soothing melody, one that made Kuria's eyes droop and her stiff muscles relax...

In a matter of seconds, the dark-blonde was drifting into the realm of rest, but a gentle thrum that spread through her bones clutched at her consciousness with such a tight grip Kuria's eyes soon blinked open again.

 _Weird._

Face tugging into a frown, the girl assessed this feeling that warmed her from the inside and pushed against an invisible barrier.

 _Could it be...?_

Kuria's eyes shut as she concentrated on the feeling. If it really was what she thought it was, then she'd have to imagine it as something she could hold...

 _A book._

Okay, next was imagining herself holding the book.

Something stirred inside her as Kuria hesitantly opened the plain blue book _**(like the ones Clara had read on Earth. In the Elemental Nations they used scrolls most of the time...)**_ her mind had supplied.

A sudden blinding, bright, blue-tinged white light engulfed her vision and stunned her mind into blankness. Kuria felt a rush of...energy? The girl guessed the electricity, the power rushing through her was what they called chakra.

The brown-eyed girl squeezed her eyes tightly, putting as much effort as she could into imagining herself holding a page of the book separate from the rest.

The energy coursing through her quickly redirected itself to her left hand, slowly building up in density as more and more of it collected in one place.

Kuria lost focus for a second, the wonder and awe at the feeling making the image of the book in her mind shatter and her chakra coils _**(?)**_ burn because of the erratic flow of energy.

Kuria's eyes snapped open, wide and panicked as she lost control of her chakra, a lump blocking her throat and lungs screaming for air as she hyperventilated, gasping wildly.

 _What the hell was happening?!_

The five-year-old blinked frantically as her vision tunnelled, desperately trying to get rid of the black spots creeping around her sight.

As the world plunged into darkness, she caught a glimpse of her brother's face twisted into a grimace, her father's rare dead-serious expression, and a fuzzy mist of turquoise.

 _What in the world...?_

* * *

Kuria woke up slowly, awareness slowly sneaking into her mind. The black edges receded at a similar pace as her consciousness returned, and then she was there, lying in her bed in her room, the window open and blowing a gentle breeze into the comfortably packed space.

The girl started coughing, the dryness in her throat similar to that of a desert. A hand entered her field of vision, holding out a glass of water.

"Will you deem us _worthy_ enough to give us the pleasure of knowing what the _hell_ you were thinking?!"

 _Fuck._

The dark-blonde flinched, the familiar (or not?) loud, crushing tone of Monika's anger hitting Kuria mercilessly.

Sipping a bit of the water (gulping it down would probably make her choke), the young girl scanned her room.

Her father was silently leaning against the door frame, face unreadable but eyes showing a hint of disappointment.

 _Ouch._

Putting a grimace on her face, Kuria turned her head towards her mother to avoid her father's heavy gaze, "I...wasn't?" She croaked hesitantly, cautiously.

Monika's face flushed red with fury, her pitch-black eyes like steel as she glared down at her daughter, " _Clearly you weren't_! I thought your father and I had taught you enough for you to know _never_ to try to access your chakra without shinobi supervision. Obviously, we haven't managed to get through your thick _skull_. I hope you'll learn something from this _stupid_ mistake!"

Frustration bubbled up inside Kuria _ **Clara**_ , _what had she done to deserve such a verbal lashing? Why was her mother always so harsh and cruel with her? She was five for goodness sake! Weren't children allowed,_ _ **supposed**_ _to make mistakes?!_

"You burned your brother with your chakra."

Oh. _Oh_.

That made a lot more sense.

"...Is Rūka okay?" Kuria tried, her body tense as she prepared herself for more harsh treatment.

Her mother sighed, her barely-there age lines deeper than the youngest of the family had ever seen them, "He's fine. It will scar, though." She said in an exhausted, broken tone.

Kuria froze, horrified. She _hurt her brother._

 _ **Permanently.**_

 _ **(Clara had always been afraid of hurting others. It made her afraid of contact... But she was Kuria?-wasshe?- now, and she had chakra, and she lived in a world where people killed for a living. There was nothing Clara could do about that.)**_

 _ **(Kuria would have to learn that hurting others was part of a shinobi's daily life. This was her first warning)**_

* * *

Kuria was five and a half and staring at a classroom's door.

It would be her classroom for the next few years. It was the classroom where she'd learn how to fight.

How to kill.

She glanced down at her black boots and spandex leggings, at her dark green shirt. She fiddled with the ends of her hair, picking out the few streaks of white-blond.

Kuria straightened her back, opened the door and stepped in.

Kuria locked eyes with a narrowed-eyed, dark pineapple-haired individual, tensed, then saw a flash of yellow and was stunned by the sight of startling electric blue eyes.

Kuria blanched.

 _ **(Some part of her, the steadily-decreasing Clara part of her, cussed like a sailor.)**_

 _What are the chances?_

* * *

 **SOOOOOOOOOOO how was it? Please let me know... leave a comment/review i dunno**


	4. Chapter 3: Running and Staring

**Hewwooooo sowwy for the late update...hopefully the** **lil' bonus at the end will make up for it!**

 **Disclaimer: I Donut Own Naruto**

 **Chapter Summary: Stares. STARES. SO MANY _STARES_. And running. (Why is it always _running_?)**

* * *

 **REALITIES**

 _~Chapter 3:~_

 _Running and Staring_

* * *

A week into Academy life and Kuria was _dying_.

She tried to avoid as much of the future clan heads as she could, but it was ridiculously difficult since _all of them_ were in her class, with the exception of the Hyūga twins (small mercies, _small mercies_ ). But of course, things couldn't go smoothly.

She was a _loner_.

Being one wasn't the problem, no _**(Clara had been a loner, too)**_ , the problem was that the _hyperactive children_ around her had noticed her reserved, distant attitude.

This wouldn't have bothered her (Kuria was _**a little like Clara**_ more than okay with being avoided by the other killers-to-be), if it hadn't _garnered so much attention._

And from a _Nara,_ at that.

The unreasonably smart boy kept sending her curious glances (she could _really_ do without his attention. _Please_.), the future Hokage would glance at her with a little guilt (why the _fuck?_ ) and on many occasions, he'd approached her and opened his mouth as if to say something.

She bolted every time, of course. _Duh_.

Unfortunately, ( _somehow_ ) the Nara was always watching with perceptive, narrowed eyes whenever the bright blond closed in and Kuria made a speedy exit.

(Thank _god_ Geruto focused on speed and stamina all at once, she would think before the girl actually had to do the training.)

It also didn't help that a nobody, an unknown, a question mark like her excelled in the physical portion they'd done so far. Never mind her always-correct answers when the teacher asked her a question. Kuria never put her hand up though.

After coming face-to-face with the Yellow-Flash-to-be, Kuria had stoically, emotionlessly walked to the desk in the right corner at the back of the class. She did so in such a detached manner that some part of her felt possessed. Everything was a blur as her thoughts whizzed around her head frantically, only snapping out of her stupor at the sound of a booming, heavy voice.

"You will refer to me as Kibishi-sensei. Sit down." A plain tanned brown-haired man with strangely blank black eyes said stonily.

(Needless to say, they all shut up.)

"Follow me to the courtyard. I'm going to see how much I will have to work on you." The intimidating teacher said, " _Don't_ fall behind."

(Shivers spread across the room...)

.

.

.

They did some running.

 _Running._

The _cruelty_!

Kibishi-sensei ordered them to do as many laps as possible (cue a certain Nara's horrified expression) around the _(too big)_ field by the Shinobi Academy. It was far too similar to what her father made her do (she had cold sweat running- _ha!_ -down her neck already) for her comfort.

Some of the civilian children (yes, she will continue referring to them as _children_.) decided to sprint all the way: they didn't last much more than a lap or two.

The shinobi children (plus Minato - _**technically he also comes from a clan, but only Clara knows that**_ ), however, kept going for about ten laps, some even more. Pretty darn impressive, considering they were _five to six-year-old children_

 _ **(part of Kuria -Clara- was absolutely terrified)**_

But there was one thing they all had in common during this _pleasant_ activity:

They gaped like wonderstruck fans who'd just been kissed by their celebrity crush as Kuria _flew_ past all of them, overlapping them _over_ and _over_ while keeping the same pace, only stopping after nearly fourteen laps.

(She collapsed, panting like a _dog_ , afterwards.)

Through her foggy vision, she saw her new sensei's face appear above her.

"Why did you put so much effort into it?" Kibishi-sensei asked, coal eyes gaining a curious spark in them, his twitching face telling her he was reluctantly impressed.

"What's the use in outlasting your enemy if you can't outrun them?" Kuria drawled out, tongue heavy in her mouth as she tried to formulate her thoughts.

He smirked.

(The Nara was watching with narrowed eyes once again, only there was a new spark in them that hadn't been there before.)

(Kuria didn't notice. She was too busy _dying_ , thank you very much.) 

* * *

It was honestly a bit absurd, in the dark blonde's opinion.

After her little stunt, the children would either _try_ to get all chummy with her, stare with awe or jealousy (or both), or they'd stay as far away as they could.

(She really shouldn't have done something so attention-grabbing... _ **but Clara had been taught to put her all into things**_ )

What really made her regret her actions were two main things: the first one was that Kuria realized her sensei now knew what to expect of her, so she'd have to keep up the same level of effort.

(…Kibishi-sensei was _scary_ when he glared.)

The second came in the form of a (by far) too sparkly-eyed blond-haired boy.

"Kuria-san! How was your weekend? What did you do? Did you train some more? You train at home, right? Who trains you? Please, _please_ give me some pointers! I'm an orphan you see, I don't have anything or anyone to turn to for help-"

It was a _Monday morning_ , and the future leader of killers had _attached himself to her side_.

 _How come she could avoid him before but not now?_

"-if you can't that's more than ok! I really don't want to bother you or annoy you or - oh kami! I'm annoying you, aren't I? I'm really really _really_ sorry! Is there anything I can do to make up for it? I feel so bad-"

The future Yellow Flash just _wouldn't stop_ and Kuria began to doubt the fact that Naruto's boundless energy came _solely_ from his mother.

"-I should shut up shouldn't I? And leave you alone...but you really were _amazing_! I don't think the Academy has ever had someone do so well in a decade or two! I mean I checked the archives - without the teachers knowing, of course - and-"

 _He. Won't. Fucking. Stop._

"Wah! I shouldn't have said that! _Please_ don't tell anyone, I'll do anything-"

" _Stop. Talking_." Kuria finally ground out, left eyebrow twitching violently on her forehead.

Minato gulped, letting out a squeak that sounded suspiciously like a "sorry!".

Kuria sighed, feeling far too old for someone just over five years. _Something_ (the solid, unshakable quality the glint in his eye had) told her Minato wouldn't stop pleading for her help, even if it meant following her _everywhere_.

"Just...I dunno... Run. As far as you can, as fast as you can, every day." The brown-eyed girl told the blond with a hesitant tone. "And ask the Academy instructors for more help or, gah I don't _know_ , get some scrolls from the Shinobi Library or something."

The little genius's (admittedly _beautiful_ ) blue eyes were shiny with what was too similar to tears for Kuria's comfort as he… _bowed_.

 _What the actual_ _ **fuck**_ _?!_

"Don't bow! Please _don't bow_!" Was Kuria's panicked and uncomfortable response.

"Thank you." Sniffed the little boy before her when he'd straightened.

Shifting uncomfortably and muttering an awkward "no problem", Kuria made a mad dash towards her seat at the back of the classroom (this had all happened on her way to their first class of the day).

With a sigh, Kuria pulled out her not-so-new-anymore notebook and pencil and began doodling as Kibishi-sensei started with the register.

 _What do I have again?_

A quick memory scan told her that the _Monday_ (how she **Clara** _hated_ Mondays) was going to start with a boring two-hour-long history lecture (what was the use of this? Kuria would really like to know).

 _Someone,_ please tell her.

Eh, she _**(Clara)**_ knew enough (most of it) anyway. The dark-blonde drowned herself in her own thoughts as she let herself doodle instead of pay attention.

It was a good idea to start improving her drawing skills early, anyways.

* * *

 **^~^~^~^ BONUS-ISH ^~^~^~^**

* * *

The Nara stared at her too much.

"What, are you developing a crush on me or something?"

Granted, a five-year-old should probably be thinking more along the lines of "ew, she has cooties", but Shikaku Nara was exactly that: a _Nara_.

If you hadn't noticed.

When the dark-haired clan heir's sharp, piercing stare morphed into a deadpan one instead (how was that _possible_ ) she retaliated with another snarky comment.

Because there was no way he didn't catch her indirect "STOP STARING".

"Am I infested with cooties?" Kuria looked down at her arms as she scanned them sarcastically.

(Was that Minato trying to muffle his snickering?)

When her tactic didn't work and the Nara didn't look away-didn't even _blink_ , Kuria finally gave up.

If he wanted to stare, let him stare.

 _(This would become a battle of wills.)_

 _(Neither of them would ever acknowledge that, though. Minato would always laugh at that fact.)_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think of it!**

 **(Am I taking too long on the Academy Arc?)**


	5. Chapter 4: Stalking and Redheads

**Hewwoooooo**

 **In this chappie we meet someone else! and Kuria has a little character development (can you spot it?) plus the shadow of a tree (you'll understand this by the end...bare with me!)**

 **Disclaimer: I Donut Own Narutoooooo D;**

* * *

 **REALITIES**

 _~Chapter 4:~_

 _Stalking and Redheads_

* * *

The next few months passed by relatively quickly. The Shinobi Academy was different to what _**Clara**_ recalled, focusing a lot more on the physical aspect of training than anything else. It filled Kuria with dread to know that this was probably because of the upcoming (or had it started already? **Clara** Kuria couldn't remember...) Second Shinobi World War.

The civilians were a little too skittish for things to be peaceful.

Anyway, they still had academic lessons, like History and Math ( _why?_ ) with the addition of calligraphy, but surprisingly they (Kibishi-sensei, really) taught something along the lines of "survival training". It was pretty much a guide to life in the wild: setting up camps, starting fires, hunting, poisonous plants and berries, etc.

 **(Clara** _ **Kuria**_ **found it very interesting.)**

Kuria still slept through most of the History and Math lessons without it even nicking her (deliberately) slightly-above-average grades. Unfortunately, the price for extra sleep came in the form of long, suspicious stares courtesy of Kibishi-sensei every once in a while.

(Honestly, shinobi and their paranoia.)

...It was worth it. _Clara_ Kuria didn't sleep nearly enough. Why did school start at such an early hour, anyway? It wasn't her fault they deprived the students of sleep.

...

Anyway.

Minato had decided to follow her around like a lost puppy, and clung to whatever "advice" Kuria gave him with a vigour that made bowl-cuts and sunsets flash before her eyes (oh god). He was suddenly very knowledgeable in _everything_ , probably due to his new un-official home, the Shinobi Library.

Part of Kuria was a little envious he could absorb so much, but the majority of her was terrified.

 _Absolutely terrified._

(What kind of beast did she unleash?!)

(The Nara boy's stares would morph into accusative glares every time Minato would spout some horrifyingly random _unnecessary_ fact.)

Kuria had tried to distance herself from the Nara boy - Shikaku - as much as she could but _damn_ was he hard to shake off. He wasn't like Minato, impossible to outrun (it was like he'd already re-created the Thunder God Seal thingy-majob). No, he was even _worse_.

It was like he knew _everything_ , like he knew what was going to happen before it could actually happen. The _Nara_ (Kuria refused to call him Shikaku - or Shika, for any matter) would always find a way to make it seem like he was there _by accident_.

 _(How the fuck?!)_

When one of the civilian kiddos was trying to speak to her, they would trip over a rock or pebble of some sort and suddenly be replaced by a stoic-faced Nara Shikaku, who would mutter a monotonous "oh, wow" before turning sharp, narrowed eyes on her.

Every. Time.

...

 _What._

The dark-blonde was slowly coming to terms with the fact that a motivated, determined Nara is an unstoppable force.

 _(Clara knew that all along...Also, those eyes had_ potential _)_

In any case, the brown-eyed girl was in class now, still alone in the corner of the back row.

Kuria's eyes scanned the room lazily, pausing only when they locked with _the Nara's_ before he glanced away, and finally stopping on their teacher.

There was an excited buzz filling the room that put Kuria on edge.

 _What did I miss?_

The girl's eyes narrowed as she focused on the only adult in the room.

"We have a new student coming in today. She'll be here in a minute, and I expect everyone to be _seated_ by that time." Kibishi-sensei said grouchily (hA! It was too early for _him_ , too! Maybe he'd help her convince the whoever-manages-this-hellhole to allow a later start to the day...).

Everyone shut up.

The door slammed open.

 _Joy._

Sensei sighed, "Please welcome Uzumaki Kushina. She will be joining our class until you graduate." The Chūnin turned to the bright-red-haired-girl whose foot was tapping on the floor to burn excess energy next to him.

The Uzumaki blinked, and Kuria suddenly got the feeling of panic emanating from her.

"I'm gonna be the Hokage, 'ttebane!" Kushina blurted.

Almost everyone laughed.

Dear _god._

 _(Clara wasn't religious, but_ damn. _)_

Kuria didn't know what to do.

Kushina had this…feeling to her that screamed sadness. It was weird. Doubly so when the dark-blonde realised no one else noticed.

 _Don't tell me this is some weird, unusual and new ability._

Two weeks had passed since the "foreigner's" arrival and _boy_ , did Kuria begin to hate civvies.

Especially their offspring.

Kushina was getting… bullied? Kuria didn't know if that was the correct term since no one would go near the girl after she utterly _destroyed_ the boys who thought they could beat her into submission.

The Red-Hot Habanero was making an appearance already.

( _Clara_ Kuria didn't know whether she was inspired - pumped - or worried. All that punching and kicking couldn't be good for someone, regardless of the fact that Kushina was the one emerging with the least injuries. Right?)

Kuria had caught Minato worriedly glancing at the outcast - it was _astounding_ how badly foreigners were treated in Konoha - when their classmates would _taunt_ (because it was far from _teasing_ ) the redhead.

She'd also caught the wonderstruck look in his eyes whenever the Uzumaki's hair moved like a curtain of _(Clara was tempted to think blood but…)_ roses (in the enamoured boy's' eyes).

(There was no way those two weren't going to end up together)

And then, Kuria just had to go and recruit another little energetic and loyal (READ: _obsessive_ ) follower.

Who, might you ask? Why, it just had to be the most stubborn, the most determined one. The _loudest_ one.

Uzumaki Kushina herself.

 _(Ok, so it was a little valid, considering Clara's mother-hen-ish senses were pinging like crazy… But still.)_

It happened on a beautiful day where the Sakura trees were in full bloom (which should've been a big hint but Kuria couldn't be bothered, she was too tired). Kushina took a similar path to go home (she lived with the hanging-on-by-a-thread Uzumaki Mito-sama in the Senju Compound) so Kuria wasn't too far away when the foreigner was...ambushed, so to speak.

It was the fucking scene where the idiot civilian child brought his older Genin brother to "teach the tomato a lesson".

Idiots.

Anyway, _Clara_ Kuria knew she needn't interfere, that she could just lay low and everything would be okay in the end, but the _loneliness_ , the pure _helplessness_ she felt emanating from the future Jinchūriki, spurred her into action.

(Not to mention, attacking someone half your age because they were defending themselves… It was messed up.)

 _(Clara had had little patience for bullies. They were one of the few things that angered her right off the bat)_

So, she waited for the Genin to grab his rough handful of bright-red strands of hair, watched as he arrogantly let his guard down.

Then she shot forward, a grimace on her face at the stupidity (or genius, who knows) of what she was going to do.

Kuria came flying in, feet first, towards the Genin's unprotected stomach. He doubled over, choking, giving her the opening to knee his face as hard as she could.

 _Crack._

With blood gushing out of a deformed nose, the Genin stumbled back in shock, his hand coming up to cover his face.

The fury Kuria was feeling was now tangible, floating around her in a dark aura. The dark blonde's face was flat, lacking emotion, but brown eyes that usually held some warmth were dark and frosty. There was a pressure in the atmosphere that seemed to suck all the air from it.

She had half a mind to kick him in an especially painful area but decided against it. _That would be unnecessarily cruel._

Eh, words could be just as threatening.

"You're _pathetic_. Attacking a six-year-old? And someone from a clan and a precious allied village, at that? Give me a reason why I shouldn't go to Uzumaki Mito-sama about this, oh-so-mighty _Genin._ " Kuria said frigidly.

The (probably) twelve-year-old before her froze, blanching. Kuria _(…Clara?)_ hadn't heard much about the Shodaime's Wife, but she _had_ been feared so it was safe to assume she still held a lot of influence over people.

"U-um…" The brown-haired boy stuttered, and Kuria felt the air around him constrict with…panic?

"I-it's okay, Kuria-chan! I'm not hurt much, see! It's already healing! It really doesn't matter that much, you don't need to go to Mito-obā-chan, dattebane! I'm fine-" Kushina said cheerfully, discreetly wiping tears from her eyes.

Kuria frowned, suddenly reminded of…Naruto. _Uzumaki are too forgiving sometimes._

With a sigh, she faced the Genin once again. "You're lucky."

 _(Clara felt uncomfortable acting like she was stronger…but this guy was a wimp if his quivering body meant anything)_

Careful not to turn her back completely on the older boy, Kuria helped Kushina up (not that she needed help) and took her leave.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her petrified classmate unfreeze and scramble after his brother as they scurried off as quickly as they could.

Kuria huffed a little in amusement, it looked hilariously dramatic.

Speaking of drama, _oh kami-sama._

Minato was watching from the tree.

And being shouted at by a now-100% Kushina. Kuria tried not to pay too much attention to the one-sided shouting fest but when she caught something about " _coward!_ " and " _sadistic perv!_ ", a laugh spilt out of her.

Minato's face turned cherry-red as Kushina turned her back on him to gaze at Kuria with wonder, invading her personal space without hesitation as a grin lit up her face.

(Steam came off Minato's face once he caught that expression on the redhead)

(Kuria laughed some more)

* * *

Shikaku blinked in surprise behind his thick Sakura tree trunk when he heard Kuria laugh.

It was strangely… light. It sounded a bit more like a cackle, but there was no evil or mischievous undertone to it.

It was _pure. Carefree._

Shikaku frowned. His stomach was doing weird tickly-flips. Strange.

He'd have to look into it. And his strange Hyūga-like stalker behaviour. What if it was _infectious?_ Oh, kami-sama.

Another round of tinkling cackles made his lips twitch upwards.

Such a pity Kuria didn't laugh that often.

* * *

 **Sooooooo whachu think? I hope you liked the chappie! Please do give me some feedback and if you spot any mistakes lemme know! I don't have a beta (and I need one desperately *cries*)**


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